Heroic subway shooting turns into tragic mistake
It sounded a bit too good to be true that British police had been able to spot and kill a suicide bomber in the subway. It turns out is was. The victim of the shooting was Jean Charles de Menezes, 27, of Brazil, believed to be an illegal alien working as an electrician in London.
The circumstances surrounding the shooting seem a bit unclear at this time. It has been reported both that Menezes “challenged” police and that he failed to comply when he was “challenged” by police. It has been reported that he spoke English, so it’s a bit odd that he failed to obey orders, unless he thought the plains clothes officers were robbers. No doubt will the incident be carefully investigated by authorities.
Here are some reactions to the shooting that are almost shockingly restrained and thoughtful compared to the drivel American lefties typically come up with after police shootings:
Last night Muslim leaders called for a review of police guidelines. They insisted, however, that the “shoot to kill” policy was justified if the lives of innocent people were deemed by highly trained officers to be at risk. Khalid Mahmood, the Labour MP for Birmingham Perry Bar, said: “This is a terrible tragedy and we have to feel sympathy for the dead man, his family and the police. But the basic principles remain. As long as the police have robust procedures in place then, if a suspect ignores a command to stop and is deemed to be jeopardising the lives of others shooting to kill is justified.”
